Leopold Stokowski Biography -

A Brief Biography of the Eventful Career of Leopold Stokowski

Leopold Anthony Stokowski was born April 18, 1882 in Marylebone, an area of
north-central London, as shown in the copy of his birth certificate below.
His parents were Kopernick Stokowski (1862-1924) and Annie-Marion Moore.
Kopernick Stokowski was a carpenter and cabinet maker who had also been born
in Marylebone, London of a Polish father and Scottish mother, so Leopold
Stokowski's father was half Scots 19. Leopold Stokowski's
mother Annie-Marion was of Irish lineage. Kopernick and Annie-Marion
Stokowski later had two other children: Lydia Stokowski Fanshawe (1883-1911)
19 and Percy James Stokowski (1890-1978).

Beginning in about 18961, Leopold Stokowski and his brother Percy
sang in the choir of St Marylebone Church, as shown in the photograph,
below.

Choir of St. Marylebone Church circa 1898, Leopold Stokowski seated front
row right

Leopold Stokowski was admitted to the Royal College of Music on January 6,
1896. At the age of thirteen, he became one of the youngest person to
have been admitted to the College up to that time 1.

Stokowski entrance to RCM in January, 1896 at age 13 (thanks to
Edward Johnson for this image)

Stokowski's further musical progression was marked by his election at age 16
to membership in the Royal College of Organists on June 25, 1898.

In about 1898, Stokowski became Assistant Organist to Sir Henry Walford
Davies (1869-1941) at The Temple Church, London. In 1900, Stokowski
formed the choir of St Mary the Virgin Anglican church, Charing Cross Road,
and also played the organ. Then, from 1902 to 1905, Stokowski was
organist and choirmaster at St. James's Anglican Church, Piccadilly, London,
whose building had been designed by Sir Christopher Wren.

Stokowski Goes to New York

From this position as organist and choirmaster at St. James's Anglican
Church, Piccadilly, in 1905, Stokowski was recruited to become organist at
St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in New York City, at Madison Avenue and
44th Street (the previous church to the present one at Park Avenue and 50th
Street) 10. He developed a musical reputation in New York,
and met a number of leading personalities, including his future wife, Olga
Samaroff (1882-1948), who was born Lucy Mary Olga Agnes Hickenlooper in
Texas. Stokowski also performed a number of transcriptions of
orchestral works from Tchaikovsky symphonies, from ancient composers such as
Byrd and Palestrina, and from operas by various composers, including Wagner,
as shown in the 1907 advertisement, below.

March, 1907 Advertisement for a Leopold Stokowski organ concert at
St. Bartholomew's Church

But Stokowski was apparently determined to direct an orchestra or an
orchestral group, and he became restless. In 1908, he resigned his
organist position and in the Spring of that year, he and Olga sailed for
Europe, with Stokowski determined to find a new start 2.

In spite of Stokowski's lack of experience, never having conducted a
professional symphony orchestra, within one year he had been appointed
conductor or the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the beginning of his stellar
career.

How could such a remarkable transformation come about ? This is
described by Abram Chasins in his biography Leopold Stokowski - A
Profile3. Chasins states that Olga Samaroff had met
by chance Bettie Holmes, president of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Association Board of Directors. Olga Samaroff had played frequently in
Cincinnati and knew the Cincinnati leaders both from her professional
activities and from family connections. Cincinnati was looking for a
conductor to lead the symphony orchestra which they had just re-established.
Olga Samaroff suggested Leopold Stokowski. This led to Stokowski being
interviewed by the Cincinnati the Board on April 22, 1909.

Stokowski's First Orchestral Concert in Paris 1909

Stokowski's interview in Cincinnati did not result in a decision by the
Cincinnati Board either positive of negative. This was likely because
Stokowski had not up to that time conducted a professional symphony
orchestra. Olga Samaroff again apparently came to the rescue.
Abram Chasins says that Olga was scheduled to play a Paris concert with the
Colonne Orchestra on May 12, 1909. When the Paris conductor fell ill,
Olga arranged for Stokowski to be introduced to the Colonne manager with
Olga's personal recommendation and with Stokowski also waiving his fee.
Stokowski was selected, and made his debut with the Colonne Orchestra on May
12, 1909, with Olga Samaroff as one of two soloists. It is a measure
of Stokowski's genius that with such lack of direct orchestral experience,
he was able to make a successful debut.

Also fortunate for Stokowski was that Lucien Wulsin, of the Cincinnati-base
Baldwin Piano Company and who was a Cincinnati Symphony Board member was on
holiday in France. Wulsin was requested to attend Stokowski's Paris
performance to verify his abilities.

Six days after his debut in Paris, on May 18, 1909, Stokowski also made his
first appearance in London with the New Symphony Orchestra at Queens' Hall,
London.

Stokowski Becomes Conductor in Cincinnati - 1909

As a result of his successful debut concerts in Paris and London, reports
back to Cincinnati by Lucien Wulsin were favorable, and this, combined with
the previous recommendations of Stokowski and his favorable Cincinnati
interviews, Stokowski received an offer to become conductor of the
Cincinnati Symphony beginning in the 1909-1910 season. The fact that
the Cincinnati season would begin in November, 1909, only five months after
his European debut demonstrates what a difference from today's musical life,
when engagements even for new musicians are made years in advance, with few
exceptions.

Stokowski conducted his first concert with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
on 26 November 1909. He was an immediate success, particularly from
the impact of the dashing presence he projected and the dynamism he provided
to the reconstituted Cincinnati orchestra. During the period in
Cincinnati from 1909 to 1912, Stokowski worked assiduously in improving his
conducting skills and in building a repertoire of works which he mastered.
Although he arrived in Cincinnati with virtually no experience in conducting
a symphony orchestra, his deep talent, his showmanship, and natural
leadership abilities led to rapid success.

Stokowski in Cincinnati probably 1910 by Somer Studios 43

Stokowski also showed from the beginning a quest for the new and
innovative. Even from the beginning Cincinnati concerts, he programmed works
of living composers, and his programming mix was stimulating. He also
sought to continually expand the orchestra's season, and its travel to other
cities.

Leopold Stokowski and Olga Samaroff were married at her St. Louis family
home on April 24, 1911. Although their marriage became progressively
more difficult over the next decade, Olga was a key ingredient in the early
success of Stokowski's career, as was recounted above in Stokowski's
opportunity for a first concert in Paris, and his appointments in Cincinnati
and Philadelphia.

Olga Samaroff at about the time of her marriage to Stokowski

During this pre-war period, Stokowski and Samaroff also would spend summers
in Bavaria at their Munich villa, immersed in the active cultural, summer
music festivals and social life. Munich in the summers at that time
was a musical Mecca in Europe. This was likely Olga and Leopold's
happiest time together. Read the superb biography of Olga Samaroff
written by Donna Kline: An American Virtuoso on the World
Stage: Olga Samaroff Stokowski
by Donna Staley Kline (see footnote 18).

Meanwhile, back in Cincinnati, Stokowski had a mixture of successes and
rebuffs from the orchestra's Board in seeking to expand touring, including
to New York, and in expanding the season and in adding musicians. In
March, 1912, after progressively increasing clashes between him and the
Board, Stokowski asked to be released from the two years remaining of his
Cincinnati contract.

This was the beginning of a career-long pattern where Stokowski would insist
on his initiatives with a symphony orchestra, and when the orchestra
administration resisted for cost or for other reasons, there would be a
public confrontation and fireworks. At first the Cincinnati Board
rejected Stokowski's request to be released from his contract, and
acrimonious public debates in the newspapers ensued. Later, after
extensive press coverage, the orchestra Board agreed, and Leopold Stokowski
departed Cincinnati on April 12, 1912, bound for Munich via New York City.

However, on the way to New York, Olga stopped in Philadelphia for
negotiations with the Philadelphia Orchestra Board of Directors, and
later, she signed the contract with the Philadelphia Orchestra on
Stokowski's behalf at the Philadelphia Broad Street train station, on
her way back to New York 7. Later, Stokowski cabled
from Munich announcing his acceptance of the post.

On October 8, 1912, Stokowski held his first rehearsal with the
Philadelphia Orchestra, followed quickly by the first concert on October
12. for the remainder of the decade, Stokowski sought to upgrade
the orchestra players by a number of replacements each year 45.
One performance aspect that he seems to have pursued from the beginning
was a supple, less rigid performance style, of which his "free bowing"
preference for string players is one ingredient. This, he applied
for the remainder of his career with any orchestra with which he came
into contact.

One important asset for Stokowski during most of his Philadelphia years was
not only the band of fervent admirers he attracted by his style, good looks,
and good musicianship, but also key backers. First among these was
Edward Bok. Bok himself was not initially a great music lover, but his
wife, Mary Louise, also heiress to the great Curtis Publishing fortune was.
Edward Bok grew to admire and back Stokowski, including the financial
support to expand the orchestra, its rehearsals, and its programs. In
1916, Bok proposed to Alexander van Rensselaer, president of the orchestra
association and also a financial backer of the orchestra to underwrite the
deficit of the orchestra for 5 years, provided that an endowment fund were
created large enough that interest from the endowment funded the future
annual orchestral deficit. As a result, by the end of 1919, one
million dollars was subscribed to the indowment11.

Olga and Leopold spent the summers of 1912, 1913 and 1914 in a home in the
suburbs of Munich, where according to Oliver Daniel, he began his first Bach
orchestral transcriptions of the Pastorale from the Christmas Oratorio BWV 248,
and of the chorale "Wachet auf", found in several parts of the Cantata no 140,
BWV 140 5. Musicians were everywhere in Bavaria during the
summer months in those years. On June 28, 1914, Archduke Ferdinand, heir
to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated triggering war two weeks after.
Olga and Leopold had a harrowing escape, taking only some gold and the score for
Mahler's Symphony no 8. Leopold, although having applied for US
citizenship, but was still a British subject and risked internment for the war's
duration. They were able to gain berths on the SS Noordam which left
Rotterdam on August 15 and arrived New York on August 25, 1914 as shown in the
immigration record, below 6.

Olga and Leopold Stokowski on SS Noordam from Rotterdam August 25,
1914

In 1914, Stokowski had applied for and in 1915 he became a United States
citizen.

Stokowski's retention to the score of Mahler's mammoth Symphony no 8 lead to
one of his early triumphs. This was both a personal and artistic
triumph, and a triumph over the Board of the Philadelphia Orchestra (one of
many), which was daunted by the cost and risk of such a large undertaking.
Mahler himself had conducted the first performance on September 12, 1910 in
Munich 41.

Mahler Symphony no 8 premiere in Munich September 12, 1910

Stokowski convinced the Philadelphia Orchestra Board during early 1915 to
pledge $17,000 (equivalent to about $360,000 today) toward the US premiere
of the Mahler Symphony no 8, and Stokowski prepared to perform it during the
1915 - 1916 season. Stokowski's skill at both organization, and
publicity were key contributors to the success. The public's interest
became so enflamed that scalpers were able to obtain $100 for opening
tickets, equivalent to about $2,100 in today's values8.

Performers and programme for Mahler Symphony no 8 in the Academy of Music,
March, 2 1916

So great was the demand to hear the Mahler 8 that additional performances
were added. On April 9, 1916, two private trains took 1,200 performers
from Philadelphia to New York for a Metropolitan Opera House performance
9. These New York performances helped establish the renewed
reputation of the Philadelphia Orchestra under Stokowski.

As mentioned above, during the season of 1916-1917, the beginning of a long
and beneficial relationship for Stokowski began with Edward W. Bok and his
wife Mary Louise Curtis, heir to the Curtis publishing fortune. Bok
committed to meet the Philadelphia Orchestra deficit for five years through
the 1920-1921 season. This was further extended and by 1923, the
Orchestra's endowment had reached $788,400 12. This is
equivalent to approximately $10 million in 2009 purchasing power.

Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra make their First
Recordings - 1917

Then, in 1917 was to occur and event seminal in both the career of
Leopold Stokowski, and in recording history. On Wednesday,
October 24, 1917, Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra took the
ferry across the Delaware River to Camden, NJ where they made their
first phonograph recordings. These were of the Brahms
Hungarian Dances number 5 and 6, as orchestrated by Albert Parlow.
These were the first of more than 450 78 RPM sides Stokowski and the
Orchestra made for Victor with the acoustic recording process, of
which only 67 were released commercially from 1917 to 1925.
You can read more of these early recordings by clicking on:
1917 - 1924 Victor Acoustic Recordings of Leopold Stokowski and the
Philadelphia Orchestra.

The recordings of Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra and,
during the same month, by Karl Muck and the Boston Symphony
were the first recordings by Victor of a full symphony orchestra
(see
Victor Efforts to Record a Large Symphony Orchestra
). This was the case also with other U.S. and European
phonograph and gramophone recording companies. The famous 1913
Nikisch - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra recordings were likely done
with about 30 musicians. The early Beecham and Odeon orchestra
recordings were of similar numbers. Partially, this was
because of the physical difficulty of putting more musicians
physically close to a recording horn. However, 1917 Victor the
Boston and Philadelphia recordings were made with full symphony
orchestras. This was the first of many Stokowski firsts in the
next 60 years of recording.

The 1917 Stokowski- Philadelphia Orchestra first recording

In the Summer of 1921, the Stokowski's were in Europe, from which Stokowski
returned in September, 1921, while Olga remained in London, giving birth on
December 24, 1921 to their daughter Sonya Maria Noel Stokowski.

In January, 1923, Leopold Stokowski and Olga Samaroff separated and by June
30, 1923, divorced. During this period, Stokowski conducted a full
program of concerts until the season end in May, 1923. In those years,
the principal conductor of orchestras performed a large portion of the
concerts each season, with few guest conductors.

Stokowski was soon remarried, this time to Evangeline Brewster Johnson,
daughter of Robert Wood Johnson, co-founder of the pharmaceutical company
Johnson & Johnson. As one of her father's three children, she was
therefore an heiress to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune.
Evangeline Johnson (1897-1990) was born on April 18, 1897, so she and
Stokowski shared the same birthday each year. They were married with
minimum publicity on January 12, 1926. Evangeline was age 28, and
Stokowski gave his age as 38 (he was actually 43).

Stokowski conducted his last concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra in
April, 1927 at the end of the 1926 - 1927 season. By this time, he had
conducted the Philadelphians for 15 years, and he seems to have wished for a
break.

He had long planned to take a vacation, but during 1926, following his
marriage to Evangeline Johnson, whom Leopold had married in January, 1926,
this planned vacation developed into a prolonged " leave of absence" from
Philadelphia.

The reasons Stokowski gave for this leave were various, including discomfort
in holding the baton (or baguette, the French term, as he preferred to call
it). He also mentioned later a 1927 taxicab accident in New York City,
which Stokowski said had injured him. Regarding the baton, Oliver
Daniel states:

"...During the year Stoki complained frequently of neuritis. He was
still using a baton and during concerts it was noticed that he often shifted
it from one hand to the other. It will always remain a mystery whether the
problems of neuritis were as serious as they seemed or whether it was a
partial excuse to obtain a year's leave..." 20.

Perhaps Stokowski simply needed a prolonged rest from the Philadelphia
Orchestra. In any case, from November, 1927 until early September,
1928, Leopold Stokowski and Evangeline Johnson Stokowski traveled to Europe
and Asia 1.

In any case, from November, 1927 until early September, 1928, Leopold
Stokowski and Evangeline Johnson Stokowski traveled to Europe and Asia1.

November 24, 1927 publicity article about Stokowski's trip to Europe
and Asia

Leopold arrived back in New York on September 7, 1928 on the SS Orinoco from
Southampton, England with Evangeline and Luba Stokowski (whom her
father called Lyuba). Evangeline and Luba had boarded at Boulogne,
France, and Leopold joined them on board at Southampton. Leopold and
Evangeline had previously reunited with Lyuba in Switzerland, after which
they went to Paris at the end of the Summer of 1928. Stokowski at some point
went on to London.

Stokowski on board SS Orinoco from Southampton from Southampton with Lyuba
21

1930 also was a year in which Stokowski decided to make a number of changes
of musicians in the Philadelphia Orchestra. The records do not
definitively show whom Stokowski dismissed, except in a few cases.
However, the March 3, 1930 issue of Time Magazine was explicit regarding
some cases:

"Conductor Leopold Stokowski of the Philadelphia Orchestra was censured by
many last week for ousting nine of his players. Four: Clarinetist Paul
Alemann, Horn-player Otto Henneberg, Violinist Marius Thor, Oboeist Edward
Raho - had been with the orchestra from 18 to 26 years. Probable reason for
their dismissal: too old, stale." 3

As well as these four, Daniel Bonade, Principal clarinet, Vincent Fanelli,
Principal harp, Gardell Simons, Principal trombone, Fabien Koussewitzky,
double bass (and also nephew of Serge Koussevitzky and who later as a
conductor adopted the stage name of Fabian Sevitzky), Max Pollikoff, violin,
Herman Weinberg, violin, Sheppard Lehnhoff, viola, Milton Prinz, cello, and
Joseph Wolfe, English horn departed during 1930 - some (or perhaps all)
dismissed by Stokowski. To replace Gardell Simons as Principal
trombone, Stokowski hired Simone Belgiorno who was trombone instructor at
the Curtis Institute and who had been Principal trombone at the Cincinnati
Symphony, at the Metropolitan Opera, Boston Symphony Assistant Principal
trombone, and Cleveland Orchestra Principal trombone. However,
according to Philadelphia trombonist Harold McKinney, Simone Belgiorno "only
lasted 14 weeks with Stokowski...", so did not finish the 1930-1931 season.

At the same time, Stokowski hired a number of Curtis Institute students
directly into the Philadelphia Orchestra even before they had graduated.
These included Melvin Headman - fourth trumpet, Robert McGinnis - Clarinet,
and Robert Bloom - English horn, who entered the Philadelphia Orchestra
directly from the Curtis Institute in 1930, although they 'officially'
graduated in the Curtis Class of 1935.

Stokowski with his 1936 Lincoln Zephyr automobile

Stokowski Produces Music Drama and Ballet

Stokowski at this time also wanted to find means to expand into ballet and
opera. He planned, raised funds, and pushed ahead against opposition
from the Board of the Philadelphia Orchestra and some of his supporters to
mount productions of Schoenberg's music drama Die glückliche Hand opus
18, and a full ballet production of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du
Printemps, with Martha Graham dancing the Sacrificial Maiden. The
three performances of these two works in Philadelphia and in New York City,
partially sponsored by the League of Composers in April, 1930 sold out,
justifying Stokowski's gamble that they would succeed 4.
Financially, they were less successful, with the cost and also the
uncompromising line Stokowski took with the Philadelphia Orchestra Board in
the confrontation as to these productions leaving hard feelings that were to
grow during the first half of the 1930s.

On January 2, 1936, after two years of indicating that he would leave the
Philadelphia Orchestra, Stokowski announced he would no longer be Music
Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra 2. The Association
Board had yielded to all his demands, but it seems that Stokowski had had
enough 3.

The furor that announcement this might otherwise have caused was lessened by
the previous two years of conflict between Leopold Stokowski and the
Philadelphia Orchestra Association Board, reported in detail in the press
for many months, blow by blow. It would seem that most of the emotion
related to Stokowski's decision, after more than 23 years as head of the
Philadelphia Orchestra had become exhausted. The announcement that
Eugene Ormandy would be released from this Minneapolis Orchestra contract,
and would become the new Music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra seems
to have been met more with curiosity 3.

Following his resignation, Stokowski did achieve one of the objectives which
he had been seeking for at least a decade. The Orchestra Association
Board agreed to a transcontinental tour by the Philadelphia Orchestra.
This would be financed by RCA Victor records, and would include 33 concerts
in 27 cities over 35 days.

1936 Philadelphia Orchestra Tour Map

The Philadelphia Orchestra in its tour from Boston to Toronto to Holdredge,
Nebraska, and back from San Francisco on to New York was the first U.S.
orchestra to make a transcontinental tour 4. 1936
Philadelphia Orchestra Tour Map

In March, 1938, Leopold Stokowski and Greta Garbo vacationed on the island
of Capri in Italy 17. This followed other reports of
romance between Stokowski and Garbo. Subsequent to this, in 1938,
Leopold Stokowski and Evangeline Brewster Johnson were divorced.
Evangeline later married Prince Zalstem-Zalessky, a descendent of a Russian
noble family who died in 1965, while Evangeline lived on to June 17, 1990,
dying at age 93.

From December, 1937 until March, 1939, Stokowski did not conduct the
Philadelphia Orchestra either in concert, or in Victor recordings.
However, Stokowski was active in Hollywood during this period, which led to
involvement of the Philadelphia Orchestra in the historic Walt Disney film
'Fantasia'.

The Birth of 'Fantasia'

In 1937, Walt Disney was searching for a new starring role for Mickey Mouse,
in part because Donald Duck had become so popular, and Mickey was becoming
'second banana'. In 1938, Walt Disney selected the story of 'The
Sorcerer's Apprentice' as a new starring role for Mickey 4.
Walt Disney met Leopold Stokowski in Chasen's Restaurant in Hollywood in
1938, and Stokowski offered to conduct the music for The Sorcerer's
Apprentice free of charge, because of his interest in the project 3
(note: when the Fantasia project expanded, Stokowski did receive a fee).
In July, 1937, Disney had already secured the rights to Dukas' music
'L'Apprentie sorcière'
4. Stokowski arrived in Los Angeles January 2, 1938 to
record this music with a hand-picked orchestra of 85 Hollywood session
musicians3.

Stokowski with Walt Disney in California, 1939 (great shoes !)

These recordings had some technical difficulties as to synchronization, but
Stokowski approved them and they were used in the final film. However,
Walt Disney had decided that The Sorcerer's Apprentice short film needed to
be expanded to a full-length movie, in order to be financially viable.
After discussing added musical selections with Stokowski, Disney secured the
rights to Le Sacre du Printemps in April, 1938
25. In December, 1939, Stravinsky visited the Disney
studios, and although in later years he was critical of 'Fantasia',
Stravinsky at the time seemed supportive. There was later further
criticism of Stokowski and Disney's music choices, particularly in editing
the music. For example, the Beethoven Pastoral Symphony was cut in
half to 22 minutes.

Stokowski and Disney listened to dozens of different musical
possibilities, including Rachmaninoff and Wagner 23, and in
the end added the Bach-Stokowski Toccata and Fugue in d minor, music
from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours,
and Mussorgsky's Night on Bare Mountain to join the already
selected
L'Apprentie sorcière, Beethoven's Pastorale symphony, and
Stravinsky's
Le Sacre du Printemps.

Stokowski also convinced Disney to record in Philadelphia with the
Philadelphia Orchestra, and recording took place in the Academy of Music
in April 3-7, 1939 23,26,27. It is beyond the scope of
this web site to describe in any detail the resulting masterpiece film,
but as well as Mickey as the Sorcerer's Apprentice, the many memorable
scenes include the hippos as ballet dancers in Ponchielli's Dance of
the Hours, and the Tyrannosaurus rex in the primeval world of
Stravinksi's
Le Sacre du Printemps.

Fantasia was issued in 1940, and was released again many times, and
continues even today in some theaters. It has been widely sold in
DVD, in several restored versions. The music sound track of
Fantasia by Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra has never been out
of the recoding catalogues, since it was first issued by Disney Studios
in the 1950s, first in monaural and then in 1957 in stereo. The
original sound track was recorded optically on film, in a system called
'Fantasound', which was shown only in a limited number of select
theaters with special equipment. Unfortunately, the original film
masters seem to be either lost, or deteriorated beyond reproduction.
What is remaining of the Stokowski recording either on DVD or CD is a
remix of some of the surviving materials.

"...[in 1940] he [Stokowski] seized the opportunity to vent his frustration
with RCA, his record company, which had refused to sponsor a Stokowski tour
but then launched one with Toscanini, its other star conductor. While
his Philadelphia Orchestra remained under exclusive contract to RCA,
Stokowski would face no such constraints with an entirely new ensemble.
And so he created one, arranged a contract with rival Columbia and then
proceeded to cut with his new orchestra many of the works that RCA had
wanted him to record...' 15.

Stokowski's contract with the Philadelphia Orchestra had also lapsed in 1940
16. So, he announced the creation of a new All-american
Youth Orchestra and conducted auditions during April, May, and early
June 1940. Stokowski auditioned perhaps 1000 young musicians from a
much larger pre-screen group across the United States, selecting 90 players
16. To these young players, Stokowski added a number of key
'ringers' - experienced Philadelphia Orchestra musicians - to form his
All-American Youth Orchestra.

After two weeks of rehearsal in Atlantic City, New Jersey in later June and
early July, the All-American Youth Orchestra in August, 1940 toured Brazil
(Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo), Argentina (Buenos Aires), and Uruguay
(Montevideo).

The All-American Youth Orchestra of 1941

The following Spring of 1941, Stokowski auditioned and formed a new
"All-American Youth Orchestra" with less professional orchestra musicians
and more of a younger group of musicians ages 17 to 22 44.
Financing it out of his own funds, Stokowski arranged an extensive summer
tour for the Orchestra in 51 cities in the USA (plus Toronto, Canada)
16 starting 11 May 1941 in Atlantic City, New Jersey and concluding in
the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Plans to conclude the tour in
San Diego, California/Tijuana, Mexico were abandoned due to considerations
of money and fatigue after such a grueling tour 16.
Following the conclusion of the 1941 tour, recording sessions with the
All-American Youth Orchestra followed in Los Angeles 3 to 20 July 1941 by
Columbia Records including two of the American contemporary pieces featured
during the tour: Cowell's Tales of our Countryside, and the Scherzo
from Paul Creston's Symphony no 1. (see the complete discography of
these 1941 All-American Youth Orchestra recordings by
clicking here.

Stokowski's Initial Concert of the 1941 trans-continental tour of the
All-American Youth Orchestra

Stokowski's 1940 performances with this orchestra were usually fresh and
exciting and well-received by critics. However, the 1941 recordings
were less successful, perhaps due to fatigue. Technically, the
recordings from both years were not up to the standards of recordings in
Philadelphia by the Victor engineers. However, the records did
introduce many listeners to the short-lived All-American Youth Orchestra
made up of many musicians who would go on to orchestra careers.

After four seasons conducting the orchestra created for him: the NBC
Symphony Orchestra 1937-1941, Arturo Toscanini became dissatisfied, for
reasons beyond the scope of this brief Stokowski biography.
Consequently, on April 30, 1941, prior to the 1941-1942 season, Toscanini
wrote to David Sarnoff, RCA Chairman. Toscanini indicated he would not
continue with the orchestra for the 1941-1942 season 30.
The letter was not a definitive rupture, but a decision Toscanini attributed
to fatigue. Sarnoff also avoided a permanent separation from
Toscanini, but at the same time, took action to assured the 1941-1942 NBC
season by appointing Leopold Stokowski as conductor of the NBC Symphony
concerts for that season.

This appointment of Stokowski was salutary for the NBC Symphony concerts,
not only because of his great conducting abilities, but also for his
typically innovative programming, which included many works, particularly
contemporary, which were not in the Toscanini repertoire. With
the NBC, Stokowski gave the American premiere of Prokofiev's symphonic
cantata Alexander Nevsky, excerpts from Prokofiev's opera The
Love for Three Oranges, then only two decades old, Stravinsky's
Firebird Suite, ballet music from Deems Taylor's Ramuntcho,
Gustav Holst's The Planets and Ralph Vaughan Williams's lacerating
Symphony no 4 in a blazing performance and recording. Another
Symphony no 4 composed and performed in 1942 was by George Antheil.
He also programmed such Stokowski specialties as Debussy's Prélude à
l'après-midi d'un faune, Tchaikovsky's Marche slave opus 31
and
Symphony no 4 and several of the Stokowski orchestrations of Bach
and Chopin. Many of these performances were also recorded by RCA
Victor and sold well.

During this 1941-1942 season, Toscanini remained based in New York City,
conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra in January and February 1942, and the
New York Philharmonic centenary celebration in the Spring of 1942.
Then, the US Treasury Department asked Toscanini to conduct a series of war
benefit concerts with the NBC Symphony, which Toscanini accepted. This
eventually led to Toscanini's return in the Spring of 1942 full-time to the
NBC Symphony. It also led to Toscanini's American premiere performance
of the Shostakovich Symphony no 7 'Leningrad' on July 19, 1942, and
the well-known argument between Stokowski and Toscanini as to who should
conduct the 'Leningrad' premiere. Mortimer H. Frank writes:

"...Much has been written about the exchange between Toscanini and Stokowski
over who would lead this American premiere. Both wanted it. Stokowski
ultimately settled for a later performance, which - perhaps to appease him -
was billed at the 'first concert hall performance'... 30

Stokowski pointed out that he had been an early advocate of Shostakovich,
giving premiere performances and recordings of his works, which Toscanini
had not. Regarding Toscanini's return to the NBC, and the fact that
Stokowski now shared the podium with Toscanini, Abram Chasins writes:

"...This time, Stokowski did not walk out. He merely adjusted his timetable
and stayed on. However, when he heard that Toscanini was to conduct the
American premiere of Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony, which the composer
dedicated to Russian heroism...Stokowski became incensed...Immediately, he
severed his association with NBC. He threw himself into other activities..."
31

Stokowski then performed a series of concerts in 1943 and 1944, including 25
broadcast by shortwave to entertain troops, and some to benefit the USO and
the sale of war bonds.

In 1944, New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia invited Leopold Stokowski
to form and conduct a New York City Symphony, which would be based in the
Mecca Temple which had become New York City property due to non-payment of
taxes. A popular symphony with very low ticket prices was attractive
at that point for Stokowski. Their concerts were generally sold-out,
and they made three recordings. However, with the orchestra Board
seeking to cut expenses, and Stokowski seeking to expand the orchestra size
and activity, a rupture resulted in which Stokowski resigned. Leonard
Bernstein, early in his conducting career, then took over the New York City
Symphony.

In April 1945, the heiress Gloria Vanderbilt divorced her husband Pasquale
"Pat" DiCicco, whom she had married in 1941. Immediately after her
divorce in Reno, Nevada, Gloria Vanderbilt married Leopold Stokowski in
Mexacali, Mexico. Their marriage gave birth to two sons, Leopold
Stanislaus Stokowski ("Stan") born August 22, 1950 and Christopher
Stokowski, born January 31, 1952. Stokowski and Vanderbilt divorced in
October 1955.

The Hollywood Bowl with its natural amphitheater and the balmy Los Angeles
weather had hosted concerts, including symphony orchestra concerts since
1922, with some semi-permanent orchestras. Stokowski organized in the
Summer of 1945 an new group called the "Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra".
Oliver Daniels wrote:

"In the past the players for the Hollywood Bowl concert were always drawn
from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, then conducted by Alfred Wallenstein.
Stoki planned to change all that. He did choose a core of players from the
Philharmonic, but to these he added many of the best players who were
attached to the various movie studios. And as a third group, he auditioned
young players from the area"

Press reviews were enthusiastic:

"Leopold Stokowski and the Hollywood Bowl Symphony inaugurated the 24th
season of 'Symphony under the Stars' with an audience of 11,000 and with
Stokowski's bride Gloria Vanderbilt Stokowski in a front row box. The
audience included Lana Turner, Charles Chaplin and his wife Oona Chaplin and
Mr. and Mrs. Edward G. Robinson..." 4.

Stokowski featured a new repertoire, including works by Hollywood film
composers and contemporary works such as the world premiere of George
Antheil's (1900-1959)
Heroes of Today (1945), and Nathaniel Shilkret's (1889-1982)
Trombone Concerto
which Stokowski had premiered earlier in New York City with Tommy Dorsey
(the trombone solo now played by Los Angeles Philharmonic Principal trombone
Hoyt Bohannon)

Stokowski rehearsing the Hollywood Bowl Symphony in 1945

Stokowski conducted his Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra during the summers
of 1945 and 1946. One of the memorable recordings he made with the
orchestra was Virgil Thomson's The Plow that Broke the Plains Suite
from the film music recorded on 30 August 1946 and issued on Victor album
M-1116 (78 RPM), later re-issued on CD: RCA Victor Gold Seal: 09026-68163-2.

The New York Philharmonic 1947-1950

In 1946, Arthur Judson, the manager of the New York Philharmonic and
President of Columbia Artists Management (manager of a number of conductors
and famous soloists) invited Stokowski to New York. Stokowski and
Judson had known each other for decades, and Stokowski understood Judson's
central role as an impresario. At their meeting, Judson on behalf of
the Philharmonic Board invited Stokowski to become the principal guest
conductor of the New York Philharmonic. As you can
read in the biographical sketch of Artur Rodzinski
, the Philharmonic was having difficulties in their contract
negotiations with the Philharmonic Music Director Artur Rodzinski.
Stokowski's first Philharmonic concert was on December 26, 1946 37.
Just weeks later, during the first week of February 1947, Artur Rodzinski
resigned from the New York Philharmonic without completing the 1946-1947
season. 36

Following the departure of Rodzinski, beginning in the 1947-1948 season, the
New York Philharmonic was conducted by Dimitri Mitropoulos and Leopold
Stokowski both as guest conductors along with other guests such as Charles
Munch and George Szell, and with Bruno Walter as "Music Advisor" 38.
Then, in the 1949-1950 season, Stokowski and Mitropoulos were each named
"Co-Principal Conductor". In May, 1950, the Philharmonic Board announced the
appointment of Dimitri Mitropoulos as Music Director of the New York
Philharmonic.

Stokowski and the Philharmonic also recorded the Mozart - Symphony no 35
Haffner. The Haffner was Stokowski's only
recording of a Mozart symphony, other than
the May 9, 1919 acoustic recording of the third movement of the Symphony no
40 K550
. Stokowski had given the premiere of the Charles Tomlinson
Griffes (1884-1920) tone poem The White Peacock during a concert of
Friday, December 19, 1919, along with two other Griffes compositions.
Sadly, Griffes died during the influenza epidemic only four months after
this concert.

Stokowski and the New York Philharmonic also presented a monumental
performance of the Mahler Symphony of a Thousand Symphony no 8 on
April 6, 1950. Although not commercially recorded, a several good
private recordings of this performance are available. This concert
reproduced the success of the famous Stokowski - Philadelphia Orchestra US
premiere of the Mahler work of March and April 1916. However, it did
not preclude the New York Philharmonic Board from announcing in December,
1949 that Dimitri Mitropoulos would become Music Director of the New York
Philharmonic in the 1950-1951 season.

Following the New York Philharmonic decision to appoint Mitropoulos as Music
Director, Stokowski cut his relations with the orchestra for the following
season and departed for Europe during the Summer of 1950. During
1951-1954, Stokowski was a guest conductor of orchestras in Europe and the
US, including at the 1951-1952 Festival of Britain, his first conducting in
the UK since his concert of June 14, 1912.

In 1954, the Houston Symphony was looking for a new Music Director to
succeed Efrem Kurtz. When Board President Ima Hogg approached
Stokowski's manager Andrew Schulhof, Schulhof told her that Stokowski was
ready to make a change 40. This was apparently the case,
since within days, Stokowski, then age 73 had signed a three year contract
as Music Director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra beginning with the
1955-1956 season.

Houston in 1957

There was something of a cultural disconnect from the beginning; among
Stokowski's first requests was to meet a cowboy (from whom he received a
deputy sheriff badge, a proud Stokowski possession) which was the sort of
image sophisticated Houstonians were seeking to change. Also,
Stokowski insisted on calling the city "Hooo-stun", again perhaps not to the
taste of Houstonians. However, Stokowski did bring excitement and
television broadcasts, and an extensive recording program. In his
season-opening concert, In his October, 1955 first Houston concert Stokowski
conducted the premiere of the Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000) Symphony no 2
Mysterious Mountain, which was broadcast nationally on NBC.

As well as his exciting programming and reinvigorating of the Houston
musical sceen, Stokowski brought an active recording program to Houston.
These recordings were the result of Stokowski's contracts with Everest
Records and with Capital/EMI. His recording program included: Reinhold
Glière - Symphony no 3 "Ilya Mourometz"
in 1957, Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony no 11 in 1958, Carl Orff -
Carmina Burana in 1958, Alexander Scriabin - Poeme d'Extase in
1959, Brahms: Symphony no 3 in 1959, Fikret Amirov -
Aserbaidjan Mugam in 1959, Richard Wagner - Parsifal - Act III
"Good Friday Spell, Symphonic Synthesis in 1959, Richard Wagner -
Die Walküre - Wotan's Farewell and Magic Fire Music in 1960, Bela
Bartok - Concerto for Orchestra in 1960, Chopin-Stokowski - Mazurka
no 13 in a minor opus 17 no 4, Waltz no 7 in c sharp minor opus 64 no 2 and
Prelude no 24 in d minor opus 28 no 24 in 1960, and Thomas Canning - Fantasy
of a Hymn Tune by Justin Morgan in 1960.

Stokowski - Houston Symphony recording of Glière "Ilya Mourometz"

When his initial three year contract ended in 1958, Stokowski and the
Houston Symphony agreed on a series of annual contracts. However,
Stokowski spent less and less time in Houston and in 1961, ended his work in
Houston. The ending was somewhat traumatic, as it had been in
Cincinnati, Philadelphia and the New York Philharmonic. In a letter
sent to the Houston newspapers, Stokowski labeled the Houston Symphony Board
as being narrow and also racist. So, in spite of several seasons of
great music-making, and a string of fine recordings still admired today, the
relationship did not end without fireworks.

March, 1960 - Stokowski Returns to Philadelphia

In 1959, Eugene Ormandy suggested that Leopold Stokowski return to conduct
the Philadelphia Orchestra. The resulting February 1960 concerts were
Stokowski's first with the Philadelphia Orchestra since April 3, 1941.
Not only did Stokowski reseat the orchestra to his Philadelphia seating of
two decades ago, he also had restored the metal conductor's podium which had
been built for him in the 1930s. These concerts were constructed with
Stokowski's inspired programming, and were enthusiastically received by both
the audience, with a sustained standing ovations, and by the critics.
Stokowski's success was recreated in New York and fine transcriptions of the
concerts have since been issued, including from
Pristine Classical. Stokowski returned for subsequent Philadelphia
seasons, including a Fiftieth Anniversary concert on February 8, 1962,
commemorating his first Philadelphia concert of October 11, 1912.
Oliver Daniel wrote that "...between February 15, 1960 and February 13,
1969, [Stokowski] had conducted the orchestra fifty times, not counting his
appearances with the Robin Hood Dell..." 39.

1961 - Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera

Although Stokowski had performed a number of operas in concert form, and
even semi-staged, he did not have the experience of the opera house music
director, such as Weingartner, Toscanini, Walter, Klemperer, Kleiber, Szell
or Leinsdorf. Dimitri Mitropoulos was to have conducted Puccini's
Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera during February to April, 1961, but
his sudden, early death in November, 1960 at age 59 prevented this.
Stokowski was then invited by Rudolf Bing to conduct Turandot
in Mitropoulos' place which Stokowski readily accepted.

Despite great physical discomfort (Stokowski had slipped why playing with
his sons and had broken his hip in December, 1959), Stokowski prepared
thoroughly. He detected errors in the printed score of the Puccini
work, involved himself in lighting and costumes, and separately rehearsed
singers and chorus. On opening night, the audience gave the cast and
Stokowski an extended ovation.

Leopold Stokowski with Franco Corelli, tenor and Rudolph Bing, behind

However, later reactions were less favorable. Since so much
controversial has been written about the 1961 Stokowski Turandot
performances, the lengthy details are omitted here. Some critics
appreciated the sonority and brilliance of the orchestra, but others heavily
criticized the lack of Stokowski cues for the singers, and the lack of the
orchestra following the singers and the stage action. Particular
comment centered on the baton-less, smooth gestures, perhaps less visible in
the opera house. Robert Sabin in Musical America wrote:

"...[Stokowski] elicited lush and beautiful sounds from the orchestra. The
stage brass could not apparently see his beat (given without stick) and
wavered in several places, though no such catastrophe occurred as did at one
performance last season, when they came in fortissimo in the wrong place..."
32

Although the New York critics (and also Sir Rudolf Bing) would be merciless
in criticism, not all reviews were negative. The eminent critic
Winthrop writing in the New Yorker
wrote:

"...The conducting of Leopold Stokowski, who got to the podium on crutches
(he is still recovering from a serious accident to his hip), is
extraordinarily dashing and vivid, and the cast is of such high quality that
few opera houses in the world could touch it..." 33

Controversy, which the musical press seemed to relish, continued to be
aired, and as Oliver Daniel writes: "...After the two performances [in
December 1961] for which he had signed a contract, Stoki resigned..."
27.

The American Symphony Orchestra 1962-1972

After his symphonic work in Houston, it seemed to many that creating music
with a New York orchestra was where Stokowski should be. Stokowski was
strongly motivated by the idea to create a new, dynamic New York symphony
orchestra, residing at Carnegie Hall, now that the New York Philharmonic had
relocated to Lincoln Center. The American Symphony Orchestra was
founded in New York by Stokowski on 26 April 1962. Abram Chasins who
knew at first hand Stokowski's opinions during that period wrote:

"...Stokowski caught fire. Never had he been more eager or ready to build an
orchestra of his own - and in New York !..." 29

The American Symphony Orchestra beginnings were not without various crises,
including an orchestra manager who disappeared, some said with part of the
orchestra funds 34. However, Stokowski, somewhat in the
manner of the All-American Youth Orchestra, auditioned and built an ensemble
with a large percentage of youth, of women, and further including black and
Asian musicians, in stark contrast to the established symphony orchestras.
Also, ticket prices were kept low, and the programming continued Stokowski's
genius for the interesting and the innovative. The creation of the new
orchestra did not proceed without problems, and in the end Stokowski needed
to subsidize its creation, and bankroll its continuing financial deficits
over the next decade. He also conducted without fee.
Stokowski built a first line orchestra, and his programming continuing to be
innovative, in contrast to the conservatism that often characterized New
York City's established ensembles.

And Stokowski's string of great recordings continued with the American
Symphony. Particularly remarkable was the first recording of the
reconstructed score of Charles Ives
Symphony no 4 recorded for Columbia on April 29 and 30, 1965, with
conductors David Katz and José Serebrier assisting in the multi-layered
score. The Ives Symphony no 4 is surely a landmark of
recording by any measure. Having collected all the commercial
recordings of this work I have ever seen, listening to several concert
performances and listening again and again to the symphony in order to grasp
it, it still seems unmatched. Other conductors having decades more to
digest and study this work have not equaled the integrity and inspiration of
the Stokowski reading. Also, his evident understanding of the many
musical quotes benefit not only from his understanding of the American music
of Ives’s era, but also the of church hymn tradition and snatches of church
music in the Ives composition. Stokowski's 1965 reading will not soon
be surpassed.

Stokowski continued as Music Director of the American Symphony Orchestra
from 1962 until his move to the U.K. in May, 1972. During this period,
he conducted approximately 25 concerts per season, with four rehearsals per
concert. 35

Stokowski's focus on recording as a key activity was a central part of his
career since his first recordings in 1917. His relocation back to
England, the country of his birth reflected this focus. By the early
1970s, recording in the United States, and particularly in New York became
so expensive that the major record companies more and more restricted their
recording to Europe. Particularly in London, with its five great
orchestras was easier, and much cheaper costs and musician fees, London was
one of the world's most favorable locations for Stokowski's recording
projects.

Stokowski relocated to Hampshire, south of London in 1972. During his
last, vigorous recording period 1972-1977, he made records for CBS-Columbia,
Decca/London, Desmar, Pye, and RCA. His last record, made for
CBS-Columbia with the National Philharmonic was yet another surprise.
It coupled the Bizet - Symphony in C major recorded June 4, 1977 with his
first commercial recording of a Mendelssohn symphony: the Symphony no 4 in A
major "Italian" recorded May 31 and June 2, 4, 1977. Both are vital,
energetic recordings, with the "Italian" having a springy step and
invigorating reading that makes it surprising that this symphony was not a
central part of the large Stokowski repertoire. A fitting final pair
for career that is, so far, unmatched in innovations and landmark recordings
over 65 years.

Leopold Stokowski died on September 13, 1977 at his home in Nether Wallop,
Hampshire, UK, aged 95.

Among the great conductors of the twentieth century, Leopold Stokowski had a
unique and fascinating career:

- Unique in the variety and quantity of his performances and recordings of
music, and especially of new music, from composers of all musical
persuasions.

- Unique in his role in disseminating music to the public and in particular,
the American public. This was done through Stokowski's innovative
repertoire, innovative concert formats, youth concerts, and pioneering
broadcast techniques. This dissemination of music was further
benefited by Stokowski's flair for promoting himself and his music and by
the popularity of his stream of recordings from 1917 to 1977.

- Unique in his involvement with the development of recorded sound.
Stokowski was involved in orchestral recording from the acoustic to the
quadraphonic eras, and in pioneering efforts in High Fidelity and
stereophonic recording with the Bell Laboratories.

Stokowski portrait by Elias Goldensky circa 1923

Stokowski's most important legacy is not in his biographical details,
briefly summarized above, but in his music-making, and particularly the
unmatched riches of his sixty years of recording. Please visit the
pages listed below that document this recorded legacy year-by-year.